logo
Queen to appear in favourite author's new crime thriller about killer in Palace

Queen to appear in favourite author's new crime thriller about killer in Palace

Peter James's latest Detective Superintendent Roy Grace thriller centres on a race to stop a killer at Buckingham Palace.
Camilla is depicted travelling aboard the Royal Train when disaster strikes and it derails, and a trusted aide is shot by a sniper, leading Grace to head to the Palace to investigate, the Daily Mail revealed.
The Queen is understood to have been aware of the book.
James – one of Camilla's favourite authors – is said to have carried out extensive research about the famous royal residence.
In the publicity for the novel, publisher Pan Macmillan describes James as the 'Creator of Her Majesty Queen Camilla's favourite fictional detective'.
It says of the plot: 'A tragic accident or a planned attack?… Despite all the evidence, Roy Grace is not convinced the Queen was the intended target… Failure at this level is not an option. But time is running out before a killer in the Palace will strike again.'
The also King features in The Hawk Is Dead: A Killer In The Palace, which is due out in October.
The Queen, a voracious reader and passionate supporter of a number of literary charities, previously recommended James's blockbusters as part her Reading Room book club.
In 2021, she visited the set of Grace – ITV's television adaptation of James's books which stars John Simm as the troubled but methodical detective – and joked about asking for a cameo role.
She told James: 'I love your books. I've read them all, cover to cover.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

James Cleverly billed taxpayers £20k for his website and comms consultants
James Cleverly billed taxpayers £20k for his website and comms consultants

Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mirror

James Cleverly billed taxpayers £20k for his website and comms consultants

His average monthly claim for his website was more than £400 a month - with the average among MPs just £67 Tory James Cleverly charged taxpayers £20,000 updating his website and hiring people to advise him on 'digital communications', documents have revealed. ‌ The former leadership contender, whom Kemi Badenoch named her Shadow Housing Secretary last month, claimed £7,000 on expenses for 'Digital Communications Constituency Services' in March (2025), according to watchdog IPSA. ‌ The same month he claimed a further £5,400 for 'Comprehensive constituency communications and videography services.' ‌ But unusually, IPSA's records don't say who the payments were made to. It comes after Kemi Badenoch admitted she'd snitched on a child at school and had them expelled Meanwhile, Mr Cleverly claimed a further £4,404 for 'website hosting and design' for his website between May 2024 and March 2025 - more than £400 a month. ‌ During the same period the average spend per month for MPs who claimed back the cost of their websites was £67. Again, the records don't say who the money was paid to. Mr Cleverly did not respond to requests for comment. ‌ Kemi Badenoch brought Sir James, her former cabinet colleague during Rishi Sunak's administration, back into the fold in a reshuffle last month. Sir James stood as a candidate in last year's Conservative leadership election, but lost out on the Tory top job ahead of the final heat between Mrs Badenoch and her now-shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick. Since the leadership contest, he has returned to the Tory back benches as the MP for Braintree. In 2023 The Mirror reported the former Cabinet minister joked about giving his wife a date-rape drug, just hours after announcing a crackdown on the growing epidemic of drinks spiking. The top Tory told female guests at a No10 reception that 'a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night' was 'not really illegal if it's only a little bit'. A spokesman for the ex-Home Secretary said at the time: "In what was always understood as a private conversation, James, the Home Secretary tackling spiking, made what was clearly meant to be an ironic joke - for which he apologises."

Ghislaine Maxwell's 'lieutenant' lives the high life in $6.5M Miami condo as her boss still stuck behind bars
Ghislaine Maxwell's 'lieutenant' lives the high life in $6.5M Miami condo as her boss still stuck behind bars

Daily Mail​

timean hour ago

  • Daily Mail​

Ghislaine Maxwell's 'lieutenant' lives the high life in $6.5M Miami condo as her boss still stuck behind bars

Her notorious former boss has been languishing in federal prison where she's serving a 20-year sentence for pimping girls for Jeffrey Epstein. But while Ghislaine Maxwell had to contend with rotting food, rodent infestations and belligerent inmates before her move to a cushier prison last week, her alleged 'lieutenant' Sarah Kellen has had no such worries. Daily Mail can reveal an exclusive glimpse inside the gilded lifestyle enjoyed by Kellen, 46, who spent around a decade working as Epstein's personal assistant and was dubbed his lieutenant in court papers. She's one of several glamorous female aides accused of arranging massages for the warped financier in various civil lawsuits – but has never faced criminal prosecution. Kellen has spoken briefly in the past to claim she was Epstein's victim, rather than an accomplice, but didn't respond to multiple calls this week from Daily Mail. Her former rep, Tracy Schmaler, said she no longer represents Kellen, who runs an interior design firm from her home, according to Florida state records. The reclusive brunette has spent the past four years residing in the sort of opulent surroundings that Epstein's tormented victims can only dream about. Kellen's luxe bolt hole has been a $6.5million apartment at the ultra-exclusive Continuum condo complex in Miami Beach where she rubs shoulders with billionaires and celebs. The 12-acre compound boasts round the clock security and amenities worthy of a five-star resort, including a 'world class' spa, two pools, professional tennis courts, a club, restaurant and private beach. Kellen's two-bed, three-bath pad on the 36th floor offers panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and Miami skyline from floor-to-ceiling windows and a sprawling balcony. But just how long she can go on living in the lap of luxury is open to question. The apartment was purchased in 2021 by Kellen's ex-NASCAR driver husband Brian Vickers, 41, who filed for divorce in February describing their marriage as 'irretrievably broken.' Their marital home was subsequently put up for sale on July 1 for $6,450,000. 'Serenity and sophistication await you in this tranquil haven in the sky,' the listing reads. 'Paradise has an address.' It's unclear exactly when Vickers and Kellen, who signed a prenup before they married 12 years ago in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, split up. In a statement announcing the divorce, Vickers, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series race winner and the 2003 Xfinity Series champion, suggested that the union had lasted only a decade. 'After ten years of marriage and five years under a rock on social media I'm coming out of digital hiding to share some heavy news: Sarah and I are getting divorced,' the driver turned entrepreneur announced in April. Kellen formally changed her name from Vickers back to Kellen as long ago as 2020, according to public records. The divorce drama comes as Maxwell – Kellen's former boss – settles into new digs inside Federal Prison Camp Bryan in southern Texas. She'll be hoping for better living conditions than she experienced inside FCI Tallahassee, a crowded Florida lockup where officials found rotting food, rodent infestations and walls smeared with filth during a 2023 inspection. Maxwell was threatened and branded a 'chomo' – child molester – by fellow inmates during her three-year incarceration in the Sunshine State. She was temporarily removed from prison on July 24 and interviewed for nine hours by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche about her links to Epstein, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial for child sex trafficking. The disgraced madam – serving a 20-year-sentence for conspiring to recruit, groom and sexually abuse underage girls – has offered to brief Congress on the contents of the so-called 'Epstein files' if they grant her immunity from further prosecution. Kellen, regarded as another key figure in the Epstein saga, has made no such offer, nor has she been asked to – at least not publicly. Thomas and Mary Kellen, both Jehovah's Witnesses, told Daily Mail in an exclusive interview back in 2022 that their daughter was naive and vulnerable when she met the multi-millionaire pedophile and that they feel she is 'also a victim' The former Epstein aide was raised in Henderson, North Carolina, by parents Thomas and Mary Kellen, both Jehovah's Witnesses. At 17, she married a member of her church, Noa Bonk, and moved to Hawaii but the relationship broke down after three years. Kellen was disfellowshipped, a disciplinary sanction whereby she was expelled from the church and ostracized by its members, including her own family. But Thomas and Mary nonetheless came to their daughter's defense in an exclusive 2020 interview with Daily Mail. 'What happened to all those girls is horrendous, but I do feel that Sarah was also a victim,' Mary insisted. 'I'm not a psychologist or a psychiatrist but I can see she was maneuvered or brainwashed.' Kellen's involvement with Epstein was laid bare in the 2008 sweetheart deal that allowed him to spend just 13 months in jail – much of it on barely supervised work release – in exchange for pleading guilty to Florida state charges of unlawfully paying a teen girl for sex. The controversial non-prosecution pact extended immunity to four 'potential co-conspirators', Kellen and fellow executive assistants Adriana Ross, Lesley Groff and Nadia Marcinkova. It meant Kellen could not face charges in Florida despite multiple girls describing how she would book them for massages and greet them as they arrived at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion before escorting them upstairs and laying out massage oils. According to police reports, one victim recalled Kellen and Maxwell instructing her on how to please their depraved employer. Others claimed the pair had warned them not to speak out about what was happening. In the subsequent slew of civil lawsuits, Kellen was referred to 'an assistant to Ghislaine', her second in command and even the socialite's 'lieutenant'. 'Sarah was really running that organization, bringing girls and getting them in and out of the Palm Beach home,' Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer representing several accusers, told the New York Times. Kellen was well compensated: Epstein divulged in a 2005 interview that he paid his closest assistants $200,000 a year. She also travelled on Epstein's private jet, dubbed the Lolita Express, with former President Bill Clinton on at least 11 flights between 2002 and 2003, according to publicly available flight logs. Clinton has said he only traveled on the plane four times and he had no knowledge of Epstein's crimes. In 2010 civil proceedings Kellen was asked under oath whether Epstein had ever shared 'underage girls' with his close friend, Britain's Prince Andrew'. 'On the instruction of my lawyer, I must invoke my Fifth Amendment privilege,' she replied. Andrew has denied having sex with underage girls. President Donald Trump, one of many wealthy Americans who knew Epstein, has slammed the 'ridiculous amount of publicity' around the late pedophile, while he and Attorney General Pam Bondi dismiss claims of a deep-state effort to shield Epstein's alleged clients President Donald Trump, one of dozens of wealthy Americans who socialized with Epstein, has blasted the 'ridiculous amount of publicity' given to the late pedophile in recent weeks. He has denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein's crimes. But both he and Attorney General Pam Bondi have struggled to shut down claims of a sinister deep-state plot to shield the predator's supposed clients from exposure. The DOJ and FBI pledged to reexamine Epstein's links to prominent individuals when Trump came into office before declaring there was nothing further to investigate and nothing more would be released. FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino – who both peddled speculative theories about Epstein prior to being appointed – backed those findings. Critics have questioned whether their sudden interest in Maxwell is genuine. Her lawyer David Markus said the disgraced British socialite 'was asked maybe about 100 different people.' But Catherine Christian, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney and NBC News legal analyst, scoffed: 'It's hard to believe this is anything but performative.'

Myleene Klass's ex responds to cheating claims
Myleene Klass's ex responds to cheating claims

Metro

time2 hours ago

  • Metro

Myleene Klass's ex responds to cheating claims

Myleene Klass's ex-husband has hit back at claims that he cheated on her. The 47-year-old musician, presenter and model recently warned those who 'have reason to' be afraid, following claims her ex-husband cheated on her with a well-known female celebrity. Klass was married for two years to her Irish bodyguard Graham Quinn, initially meeting in 2001, marrying in 2011, and divorcing two years later in 2013. Speaking about their relationship, she revealed that she caught him about to sleep with a 'famous person' while in her own home for her birthday. Now, however, Graham, with whom she shares two daughters, has clapped back at Klass. According to those close to him, a source told Daily Mail: 'He thinks she's a bully. 'They believe it was especially 'vindictive and calculated' of Myleene to launch the bombshell broadside on what she would have known was the week of Graham's 51st birthday.' In a previous chat with Fathers4Justice, Graham was also found to have said that Klass 'actively denied' him access to his two kids. He told how he felt that he was 'banging his head against a brick wall' in his attempts for access. saying: 'I haven't seen my kids in years. 'The only exception is when Myleene begrudgingly met me in a car park off the North Circular Road in 2014. 'She lowered the window about three inches and I could see the girls in the back. That was it. 'I've thrown so much more money at it [trying to see his daughters] and I can't afford much more. 'I've spent £20,000 and am probably further away from them now than I've ever been. I've missed so many birthdays and Christmas days. I'll never get that back.' Throughout this ordeal, Klass has declined to name the woman involved at the time. But earlier this week, the presenter took to Instagram with what appears to be a veiled warning to those 'who probably have reason to' be afraid, declaring she 'won't keep her mouth shut' and has 'receipts.' Alongside a photograph of her recently awarded MBE – for services to women's health, miscarriage awareness, and charity – Klass shared a heartfelt message with her followers. More Trending 'Wow. What a week it's been!' she wrote. 'Firstly, thank you. I have quite literally tens of thousands of messages of love and support for me and my family. I took a long time to learn there's strength in vulnerability.' She added: 'At 47, I've finally found my voice and it's clear, unapologetic and brutally honest.' 'To those that fear its truth, you probably have reason to. I have receipts. To those that need to hear it, I've got you—and I fully intend to continue using it to change the laws and legislation that neglect women and children in this country and around the world.' Metro has contacted Myleene Klass for comment. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store